


I walked with you once upon a dream

by theonewiththeeyebrows



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate post-fire Hale story, Chris/Melissa/Sheriff triad, Dream Sharing, Erica/Boyd - Freeform, Isaac and Erica volunteer with the EMTs, M/M, Magic!Stiles, Mates, Mentions of Laura, Patient!Stiles, Runaway!Stiles, Scott/Allison - Freeform, Sickness, Spirit Animals, alternate turned beta history, background relationships implied or mentioned, coma!stiles, corsac fox, doctor!derek, homeless!stiles, mentions of Boyd - Freeform, mentions of cora, mentions of mama stilinski, pre-Cora/Kira (Kira isn't mentioned by name though), pre-Isaac/Allison/Scott, unexplained illnesses, wolf - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-16 22:36:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11262429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theonewiththeeyebrows/pseuds/theonewiththeeyebrows
Summary: Derek's been dreaming of a corsac fox. In the dreams, he's always in his alpha shift. The dreams are always peaceful and calming. He used to dream of the Fox as a child before the fire. When Laura and Derek moved to NYC the dreams stopped, but since Derek accepted the residency in Dallas, they've come back with a vengeance. The dreams feel real but they don't really have an effect on his day-to-day life, until one day the Fox falls sick.Isaac and Erica, bring in a comatose homeless man when they end up in an EMT student-ride-along after a major accident. The man is someone who's known for helping the EMTs out. But his comatose state is hard to explain.





	I walked with you once upon a dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [evisionarts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evisionarts/gifts).



> Written for the [SterekReverseBang on tumblr](https://sterekreversebang.tumblr.com/). Based on art by the incredible [evisionarts](http://www.evisionarts.tumblr.com) \-- go check it out. Mary's art is incredible, she does a lot of Sherlock (BBC), Doctor Who and Inception fanart. [Click here to see the art this fic was based on.](http://evisionarts.tumblr.com/post/162169788536/my-entry-for-the-sterek-reverse-bang)
> 
> A mostly mild story told through introspection and reminiscence. 
> 
> There is one explicit scene in the second last paragraph of the story, skippable if you don't want to read it -- has some knotting after marriage/mating.
> 
> Beta'd by the wonderful EmisFritish who is on [AO3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmisFritish/pseuds/EmisFritish) and [Tumblr](https://emisfritish.tumblr.com/). You can check out her AO3 for her work (in other fandoms). Thanks so much, Em. It was wonderful talking to you and working with you. Thanks for the beta. Sorry for any mistakes I've allowed into my fic in spite of your hard work.

Derek splashes cold water on his face to wash away the lingering dream. Ever since he accepted the residency at Medical City Dallas Hospital and moved from New York City to Dallas, he’s been plagued with dreams of the Corsac Fox. These dreams aren’t new to Derek, they’d started when he was about six years old, but after Laura made him move to New York, they disappeared. Part of Derek thought he’d outgrown the fox, and part of him thought the dreams went away because of the circumstances at the time. The dream is always so vivid, always has been. But now, he often wakes up in full-shift. He was always in his alpha shift in the dreams, even when he was a child, but back then the full-shift was never supposed to be part of Derek’s life story. He wasn’t meant to be an Alpha and he never expected to be able to shift into a wolf like his mother did. But that was before his whole life was turned to ash.

Derek was sixteen when his family home was burnt down, surrounded by mountain ash and with his family trapped inside the burning building. Everyone who was inside died – Derek’s mother, father, uncle, aunt, cousins, and siblings. The only one left was his sister Laura who had been grocery shopping when the fire happened. Derek had been out of state at his championship basketball tournament when Laura called him, hysterical. Kate Argent’s name kept coming up during the investigation, and Derek blamed himself for his family’s death because if he hadn’t been seeing his substitute teacher behind his family’s back, perhaps they’d still be alive. Laura, unable to handle walking around a town where memories of their family haunted them, moved them as far away from Beacon Hills as she could – all the way to New York City. Acquiring Alpha status was rough on Laura, but she never let Derek take on more than he could. She supported his dreams when she couldn’t follow her own. She put him through school and tried desperately to find their sister, whose body was not found in the wreckage of their home.

When Derek finished his undergrad in Pre-med, Laura went to South America because she found a lead that traced back to Ecuador. She came back from South America with a teenage Cora in tow. Things were good for a month, they introduced Cora to New York’s adventures, sights, and delights. For a little while, they weren’t as bogged down by the grief of their loss. But then, Laura fell sick. Nobody could figure out what was wrong with her but her decline was swift and fatal – Cora and Derek were beside her holding her hand when she passed away. It was a surprise when Derek felt the surge of power coursing through his veins as Laura slowly slipped from the mortal coil. Derek was not ready for the mantle of being an Alpha, he had never been trained for it like Laura had. He had never been a part of negotiations and inter-pack meetings. A year after Laura passed away, Derek was still learning the ropes while going to Medical School when an Alpha pack came through New York and tried to recruit Derek. When he refused, they challenged him and kidnapped Cora. The fight had him take down three Alphas – Deucalion, Kali, and Ennis. In the process of trying to save his only surviving family and making the Alpha Pack submit, Derek found his full shift. The wolves of the Alpha Pack fell in rank to Omegas -- Betas without a pack. This helped establish Derek as a strong, solid and reliable Alpha; and in turn restored some of the former glory once associated with the Hale name.

Derek tried to keep a low profile, and while his pack was small in New York, it slowly began growing. One of Cora’s classmates was being abused by his father, and when Cora found out she almost razed the Lahey house to the ground. Isaac was terrified and when Derek came to pick Cora up after a frantic call from her, he reassured Isaac that nobody would hurt him every again. When CPS came to take Isaac away, he started crying and Derek took temporary custody of him which was facilitated by having werewolves in CPS and the New York Court House who knew of his reputation. Erica was a fluke – Derek found her seizing in the middle of Central Park on a full moon. Knowing what he knew about epilepsy, Derek stayed with her and tried to keep her safe, then he offered her the bite. She agreed with the condition that her boyfriend be allowed to be a part of the pack. Boyd was calm and strong, and Derek was proud to have him be a part of their tiny pack. Derek turned him when he tried to protect Erica from a wendigo and was fatally injured. After that Derek got engrossed in training his Betas and finishing Med School. When he was offered the residency in Dallas, his Betas tried to find schools in the area and were luckily successful. Boyd transferred easily to the University of Texas in Dallas and Cora found a course she’d have liked to continue at UT as well. Isaac and Erica were about to join NYU’s EMS program and were happy to transfer anywhere where they could work hands-on with experienced Paramedics.

Derek lives in a loft close to the hospital, but Erica, Isaac, Boyd, and Cora find a 3-bedroom apartment that is equidistant from the two schools they found themselves divided between. Derek tries to have a weekly pack nights; but most nights, he is sacked out long before the movie finishes. When the dreams started, Cora was worried. It reminded her of Laura’s delirium when her sickness started. But Derek had seen Laura’s deterioration and symptoms, and he knew it wasn’t similar at all. He also feels that the dreams are not a bad omen. The dream tonight was particularly scary though. Tonight, the Fox ran up to Derek before Derek noticed the limp. But as the dream wore on, the fox grew weaker and more tired, eventually falling to the ground. Derek ran to the Fox and nudged him with his muzzle, only to find the fox fading from his dreamscape; Derek helplessly howling to the moon. It’s a surprise he doesn’t wake up in full shift, but Derek feels the panic from his dream permeating his consciousness. The Speaker system calls out to him, telling him he’s needed in the Emergency Room. Derek stares at himself in the mirror wondering, not for the first time, why the fox is so important to him. He washes his hands and walks to the ER briskly.

The ER, as always, is chaos. There are kids crying, parents frantically trying to get the attention of the overworked nurses and doctors scurrying around trying to get to people in some semblance of order. There’s a line of ambulances and Derek hears the wailing of the sirens, as more pull in – there must have been some sort of accident. Derek runs to the Ambulance entrance and sees Isaac and Erica’s familiar heads. They must have been riding along today.

When Derek reaches them they’re pulling two gurneys out of the back of their ambulance – that must have been a tight fit. Isaac and Erica crowd into his space as soon as he reaches them – he can see the tension the accident caused in the way they hold themselves. One of the patients on the gurney is wailing and struggling -- she has a head injury that is bleeding profusely, but many head injuries look scarier than they are. He tells the nurse closest to him to get the patient a coagulant, go through a concussion check and an MRI just to rule out major head trauma.

The other guy, who looks and smells awful, is pale and unconscious. The Paramedic comes up to him when he sees Derek at the man’s side.

“We don’t know what happened. He was helping with the accident – there was a ten-car pile-up on Campbell Road, and he just showed up. We saw him calming people down and administering some amount of first aid when we arrived at the scene. He gave us details on the people he’d helped, but then he started seizing and passed out. He had no ID or anything on him, we think he might be homeless.”

“A homeless man with first aid knowledge? He looks too young to be a Veteran,” Derek says, speculative.

“He looks too young to be homeless,” The Paramedic says, frowning down at the kid.

“Jeremy, you know as well as I do that poverty and homelessness have nothing to do with age,” Derek admonishes.

“But where are his parents, then?” Jeremy asks and Derek doesn’t know how to answer. He wishes the kid could wake up so that he could ask the guy what happened to him that made him end up on the streets, but the truth of the matter is, that sometimes life happens beyond people’s control. Nobody knows that better than Derek.

Isaac and Erica are hanging out nearby and he can see them vibrating.

“What’s wrong?” Derek asks, cautiously.

“We know that guy.” Isaac and Erica chorus, practically bounding up to him.

“What?” Derek is curious how his Betas know this homeless kid. He knows their schedules. He knows all their friends, their classes, their interests, and extra-curriculars, etc… Because in spite of his initial reluctance at holding the mantle, Derek wants to be a good Alpha and he cares deeply about his Betas.

“He goes to U of T with us,” Erica says.

“He doesn’t look like a student though.” Derek speculates, skeptical about the validity of Erica’s claim. Erica pouts.

“Umm… he isn’t one.” Isaac grimaces, but Derek heard Erica’s heart-beat. She wasn’t lying.

“But you just said --”

“Well, he kinda sits in on classes sometimes.” Isaac cuts him off, in an uncharacteristic burst.

Erica is staring off into the distance when she suddenly seems to remember something. “Stiles. At least I think that’s what he said--”

“Stiles? What the hell is a Stiles?” Derek muses.

“-- his name was when he was when he was arguing with Professor Morell.” Erica continues her rambling.

“We’ve also seen him helping out sometimes when we’re on ride-a-longs. He knows his stuff. I think he managed to tune into the emergency vehicle radio frequency because whenever we get a call close to campus, he’s there.” Isaac adds to give Derek more context as to how they might know this kid they’ve identified as Stiles.

Derek walks closer to the kid and stares down into his serene, unmoving face. “What kid knows medical and police radio codes?” Derek asks, rhetorically.

“I don’t know, but he’s a good guy,” Erica says, from over his shoulder. “And I don’t think he’s a kid… he’s got to be at _least_ our age.”

“He looks younger,” Derek says, gesturing to the plumpness of his cheeks in spite of the clear indication of malnourishment and starvation.

“But looks can be deceiving… sometimes.” Isaac says, gesturing to Derek’s scruff, the beginning of crows-feet and the salt and pepper that is starting to appear even though he hasn’t even reached the age of thirty yet.

 

* * *

 

It’s been a week since ‘Stiles’ was brought into the ER, and he still hasn’t woken up.

Derek can’t seem to figure out what is wrong with him. The biggest problem is that Stiles has no symptoms. His heartbeat is strong and steady, his blood pressure is normal and steady, he doesn’t have arrhythmias or any lung infections. If he wasn’t emaciated and in a coma, he would probably be the healthiest human Derek has ever seen. Stiles’ MRI showed no abnormalities either, there was nothing that suggested Stiles should be in a coma and it baffled the minds of everyone in the hospital.

The stress of Stiles’ mysterious illness was coupled with the fact that Derek could barely get any restful sleep. His dreams were haunted by his fox. He could hear his Fox yipping in pain and struggling with something but search as he might, he could not get to him. Derek would spend the entire dream howling and howling, and he’d wake up to his alarm blaring at him, his body covered in a sickly, sticky sweat. He comes back from his morning run wanting to throw up, and he barely chokes down his protein shake before heading to the hospital.

The pack can feel his stress and he can tell when they start reacting to it. Cora runs away to Ecuador to meet her adoptive family, and Erica and Isaac stop going on ride-a-longs and come curl up in the Doctors’ Lounge instead. The staff at the hospital know that Erica, Isaac, Boyd, and Cora are like Derek’s siblings and kids rolled into one, and although they’re all adults, all four of them are cute enough to worm their way into Derek’s co-workers’ hearts and get them to do whatever they want. Because of that, Derek will often come to the lounge hoping to catch a few minutes of restless shut eyes, only to have Erica or Isaac curling up beside him and telling him stories about Stiles.

“I remember when Old man Zacharias, man that guy smelled like piss all the time, he had a heat stroke in the middle of winter. I mean what homeless person manages to get a heatstroke in the middle of winter? Anyways, Stiles called the paramedics in, but by the time we got there, he’d gotten the old man some Gatorade, confiscated all of Zacharias things. We went by a week later, and he was so much better.”

“There was this one time when we came to a scene, and we’d been on the road for almost 8 hours straight. We hadn’t had the chance to stop for a break and get something to eat. Just the occasional bathroom break when we were dropping someone off at the hospital and getting s paperwork sorted. Anyways, we pull up to a call Stiles called in, and Stiles can see how exhausted we are, and what does he do? He pulls out a box of pop tarts and a pack of water and gives it to us. This barely twenty-year-old _homeless_ kid gives us Paramedics his hard-earned food. And he’s always done it since. I don’t know if it’s just us, or if it’s all the Paramedics, but it definitely makes me feel special.” “He cares so much about the people around him, Derek. We should make sure he makes it. He’s so kind and full of life. He takes care of everyone. Even the people who the other homeless people try to get rid of. He always tries to make sure they’re ok. It’s been a cold winter, and I’ve seen him give away his foil blankets to people. He tries so hard. And he goes to school, he doesn’t pay for it, obviously, but he goes regardless.”

And on. And on. And on.

One week turns into two, which slowly turns into three. One day Erica is lying next to him, and she whines, he can tell she’d been crying at some point during the day. She snuffles into his shoulder and for some reason, he knows what’s coming.

“Derek, I know you don’t know him, but he would make such a good packmate,” Erica says so softly that if he wasn’t a werewolf, he would totally have missed it.

And it isn’t just Erica either, it’s Isaac too. Ever since they started telling Derek about Stiles’ loyalty, bravery, kindness, honesty, generosity, and the hundreds of other qualities this tiny slip of a man has, he’s been considering it. Well, if he’s really being honest with himself, he’s been considering it long before that, ever since Derek laid eyes on him, and his scent, under all the grime, sweat, muck and questionable substances filtered through. But Derek is a doctor first-and-foremost, and he’s always made these decisions with full consent. And he doesn’t have Stiles’ full consent because Stiles is _not awake to give it_.

Derek is so sick of not getting results he sends a vial of blood to check for DNA anomalies there.

* * *

Derek was dozing off in the room behind the Nurse’s station when he's awakened by shouting. He’s too fuzzy from lack of good sleep to latch onto the conversation, but he can tell it’s not good.

“Where the _fuck_ is my son!” A man is shouting, fists banging on the desk, making Nurse Anne jump and grab the phone.

Derek is already on edge, and he’s bigger and stronger than this man, so he steps in. There was no need to escalate the situation by calling the authorities.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to calm down. If you don’t calm down, we aren’t going to be able to help you.” Derek puts his hands up in a placating gesture.

“Calm down? Calm down!? You want me to calm down when my son could be dead or dying? I don’t know what is going on but I need to know right now.” The man yells.

“Sir. I understand that you’re scared, but I am not a magician or psychic and neither is Nurse Anne. We want to help you, we do. But unless you tell us calmly what you need, we can’t.” Derek reasons.

“Mieczysław Stilinski.” The man says, with a sudden calmness that startles Derek.

“Bless you.” Nurse Anne responds.

“What?” The man asks, blankly.

“That wasn’t a sneeze?” Nurse Anne asks, innocently; and Derek pinches the bridge of his nose.

For a man who was in hysterics a minute ago, the man just takes all of this in stride, and continues, “M-I-E-C-Z-Y-S-CEhoo-which is an L with a slash running through it-A-W, Stilinski, that’s my son’s name. I don’t know how he ended up here, but we got a hit on his DNA when it was run through your Lab’s system.”

Nurse Anne types it in making sure with the Mr. Stilinski that she’s spelled the name correctly before she searches patient files. “I’m sorry sir, we don’t have any patients by that name here.”

“But--. We got a hit. We did.” Derek watches the man crumble before his eyes. He wonders if this has happened to him before, to get a lead on his son only to have it not pan out. The number of false leads Derek and Laura had to field before they found Cora were innumerable. They had almost given up hope by the time they reunited.

“Mr. Stilinski,” Derek says, not really knowing how he can help, but thinking perhaps that he can at least help the man not lose hope. “Why don’t I buy you a coffee?”

“You don’t need to do that.” The man looks so distraught, and hopeless, but he sets his jaw stubbornly.

“I know, but I know a little about losing family and losing, and I figure, you could use some reassuring right about now,” Derek says placating, he doesn’t pity the man, but he does empathize with him.

“You’re a good man, Doctor…” The darkness from the man’s face clears, and he looks familiar to Derek, but he’s probably one of those people who has such an average face that he gets mistaken for people all the time.

“Hale,” Derek states, sticking his hand out for a handshake.

“You’re a good man, Doctor Hale.” Mr. Stilinski repeats.

“Thank you,” Derek says blankly, he learned a long time ago that he should just accept compliments when they are bestowed upon him, regardless of if he agrees with them.

The coffee at the cafeteria isn’t that great, but Derek orders himself a cappuccino and Mr. Stilinski orders an Americano. They’re sitting at a table when the man says, “Hale? You know, there used to be Hales in the town I’m from.”

“Yeah?” Derek asks, curious to know more and wondering if he has an aunt or uncle somewhere.

“It’s a sad story though, I don’t think it’s an uplifter.” The man’s shoulders slump a little, and Derek can’t help but wonder, yet again, if his name is cursed.

“If you want to tell it, I’m all ears. Although, I’m familiar with Stilinskis myself. When I was a kid, my family was killed in a fire and there was a Deputy in my town who took care of me and my older sister before we left town.” Mr. Stilinski’s eyes widen, and he reaches out and clasps Derek’s hands in both of his.

“Derek?” Mr. Stilinski asks.

“Umm… yeah?” Derek is confused now.

“It’s me. Sheriff Stilinski, well I’m a Sheriff now.” Derek’s eyes widen in recognition.

“Oh my God! I thought you looked familiar, but it’s been so long, and I-- What are the odds!” Derek is shocked, and the Sheriff laughs at the bewilderment on Derek’s face.

“So, you’re a doctor now? Wow! How’s Laura?” The Sheriff asks.

“Laura passed away five years ago. She found Cora in Ecuador and brought her back. But she fell sick and we couldn’t figure out what happened.” Derek curls up into himself. He doesn’t like talking about Laura and her untimely demise.

“I’m so sorry. She was a wonderful young lady. I always hoped the two of you would be fine. I wondered what happened to the both of you. I’m glad you were able to find Cora though.” The Sheriff becomes withdrawn and quiet for a little while before he continues, “I think she’s as old as my son would have been.”

“She’s twenty.” Derek states.

“Yeah. He’d have been twenty in November.” The sheriff looks introspective, probably lost in a memory.

“If you don’t mind my asking, what happened to him?” Derek asks, breaking the trance the Sheriff seemed to be in.

“I don’t know.” The Sheriff runs his hands through his hair, making his hair stick up all over the place. My wife passed away about 6 years ago, I guess you could say her illness was a bit unexplained as well. Anyways, her death was hard on both of us and I guess I dropped the ball badly and he ran away from home. At first, I thought he was just leaving home before I woke up in the morning and was coming back after I’d passed out drunk, but then I started noticing that his room was untouched and that there were calls from his school saying he hadn’t shown up. I thought he was at his best friend’s house, but his best friend hadn’t seen him in a week by then. I looked for him all over Beacon Hills but he was nowhere to be found. That kid was always far too resourceful and smart for his age.”

Derek hears his name being called on the intercom, and his pager buzzes on the table between them. While it isn’t unusual for Derek to be paged, it tends to be quiet around the hospital at this time of the night.

“Umm… I’m really sorry, but I’m needed.” Derek says, pushing away from the table and standing up. “You can walk with me if you’d like, and if you stay a while, maybe we can exchange numbers and stay in touch? I’m sure Laura tried looking you up.”

“You don’t mind if I walk you?” The Sheriff asks, surprised.

“Of course not. And I would very much like to stay in touch.” Derek reassures him, even as he starts walking briskly towards the nurses’ station they came from.

The nurse at the desk stands up quickly when she sees Derek approaching. “The kid, Stiles, he’s awake!”

Derek hears the Sheriff mutter a confused, “Stiles?” but he doesn’t wait, and rushes to the room the kid is staying in.

Nurse Finley is standing at the kid’s bedside holding up a cup with a straw in it so that Stiles can take slow sips of water. “Everything looks good, doc.”

The kid’s eyes seem to sparkle mischievously, and he smirks up at Derek, “Mi Lobo,” he whispers softly on the wind, voice hoarse with disuse.

”Hola. Como te llamas?” Derek asks, thinking the kid speaks Spanish.

“What?” The kid asks in confusion, but there’s an attentive awareness to him that wasn’t there a few minutes ago.

“What’s your name?” Derek repeats.

“Stiles.” The kid says.

“Is that your real name or a nickname?” Derek asks, narrowing his eyes at him.

“Does it matter?” The kid counters, aggressively.

“Well, Yes. I’d prefer to know who I’m treating, and I’m sure the hospital will need your real name for insurance purposes.” Derek says, matter-of-factly.

“Insurance?” The kid looks up at him with a bewildered look on his face.

“Yeah….?” Derek says, trying to be placating without being patronizing.

“I don’t have that.” The kid shrugs.

“How old are you?” Derek asks.

“I don’t know.” The kid says, annoyed.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Derek is confused.

”I mean – I _don’t_ know!” The kid yells at him.

“How long were you on the streets?” Derek asks, wondering how much time this kid has lost.

The kid goes pale suddenly, and Derek sees the Sheriff in the doorway. The Sheriff has tears streaming down his face, and he looks like he’s been through the ringer in the last few minutes.

“Stiles,” the Sheriff whispers, a note of disbelief in his voice.

“Dad?” Stiles says and he seems to be holding back tears, “How did you find me?”

“You’re still going by Stiles?” The Sheriff asks, taking a hesitant step closer.

Derek coughs, feeling as though he’s intruding on a private moment. “I take it this is Miss-chee... er… Mischief-suave?” He says.

“Mieczysław. Although, my mom did call me Mischief all the time.” Stiles says, exasperated.

“Right. Umm, so you’ve been comatose for the last month, and we weren’t able to diagnose what lead you to that state.” Derek says. He turns to the sheet on Stiles’ chart that has his test results just so he can refer to them if needed.

“Oh.” Both the Sheriff and Stiles look struck by the news.

“We’ve ruled out most diseases, and your CT and MRI scans were clear –“

“So, there’s nothing wrong with me,” Stiles says enthusiastically, cutting Derek off.

“Well, I wouldn’t say nothing’s wrong. Something obviously caused you to become comatose. People don’t just become comatose for no reason.” Derek says, trying to make them realize how serious this is.

“Yeah, but sometimes freak accidents happen. And I’m not in a coma anymore. And you can’t find anything wrong with me.” Stiles says flippantly, smirk back in place.

“No, but it’s still something that should be of concern.” Derek volleys back, and he can see the Sheriff hesitating from his place at the foot of Stiles’ bed.

”Be of concern? What are you, a grandma?” Stiles huffs, crossing his arms.

”Stiles! I’m so sorry Derek --” The Sheriff interjects clearly about to apologize for his son’s rudeness, but Derek cuts him off.

”Look, I know you’re scared.” Derek offers, he closes the chart and sets it on Stiles’ bedside. “How about I give you and your dad some time. You’ve been here for a month, and he’s been looking for you for far longer than that. Now that you’re awake, we’ll need to run some tests to see how you are physically.”

”Why? Do I not look like a prime specimen, doc?” Stiles smirks.

”Let’s let science tell us you are.” Derek smirks back, “And then you and your dad can decide how to proceed from there.”

”I don’t like hospitals,” Stiles says, grumpily.

”Who does?” Derek says, and he raises his eyebrows and bows out of the room.

He can hear the Sheriff and Stiles reunite joyfully. He doesn’t know why Stiles ran away, but the Sheriff didn’t ping any of his bad juju radars. It didn’t feel wrong to leave Stiles with the man. When he looks in through the observation window, he can see a reunion that speaks of nothing but love and longing between father and son.

When he returns from his rounds, Stiles is asleep and the Sheriff is no longer in his room. He’s not in the waiting room either. Derek makes sure to make a note to the attending doing rounds in the morning that they should have Stiles do a full blood work and physical in the morning. But he clocks out an hour later, saying goodnight to the nurses still milling about.

 

* * *

 

Derek has been exclusively assigned to the ER for a few days now, so he hasn’t seen Stiles, but he’s heard about him from all of the nurses. Isaac and Erica have been to the hospital all week, and haven’t stopped to check in on him even once, they’ve been too busy visiting Stiles. Working in the Emergency Room is by far, the most rewarding and the most taxing rotation on Derek’s roster; but when he gets to the hospital and finds himself assigned to the ER again, he sighs – it has been a long week.

Thankfully the dreams have been less stressful than they were over the past month. The Fox isn’t injured anymore. He’s still somewhat subdued, isn’t quite the hyper fox he usually is, but he seems happy and content. Derek’s energy, as a result, is high as well because he hasn’t spent the whole night tossing and turning and sweating through his sheets. He doubts he’d be able to function if it had continued any longer. Last night, the Fox had walked up to Derek, licked Derek’s paws and curled up against his flank before he fell asleep. Derek doesn’t remember much else, but he _can_ remember the warmth of the Fox against his side. Sometimes he wishes Laura was still around so that he could discuss his dreams with her, she knew more about werewolf culture, history and tradition – she was after all the one who was raised to be an Alpha. Derek has an inkling of what it might mean, but it seems too good to be something Derek deserves.

The ER is quiet today, unusually so. Derek starts some of the paperwork he was meant to work on over the week, but hadn’t had time to do. The computers in the Doctor's Lounge are all occupied, so Derek bribes Nurse Anne with some of his signature Three-Bean Chili (arguably the best in Northern Texas) and uses the one at the Nurses’ station. It’s been a couple of hours since his shift started when he’s startled out of his zone.

“Jesus, Derek, could you be any more boring?” Isaac says, shaking his head in disappointment.

“What are you guys doing here?” Derek asks, surprised to see Isaac and Erica in an area of the hospital where Stiles isn’t around. He’d heard chatter about him being transferred into his father’s care in California soon.

“Can’t we stop by and say hello to our Alpha?” Erica says, hands held to her chest in mock hurt at Derek’s statement, “but if you don’t want us, we’ll head on out!”

Derek sighs and shakes his head at their antics. “What do you want?” He asks teasingly.

“Want? What could we possibly want when we have such a caring, loving, Alpha who provides for us so well!” Isaac says, batting his eyelashes at Derek.

“But since you asked so nicely, we wanted to invite you to Stiles’ party,” Erica adds when Derek rolls his eyes.

“Party?” Derek asks, confused.

“Well, it turns out his recovery will take some time and his dad has already extended his leave once, so he’s eager to go back home. But Stiles can’t stay here, and since his dad wants to take care of him and not abandon him in Texas, they’re going back to California in a couple of days.” Isaac says, and Derek can tell that neither Isaac nor Erica are happy about the situation.

“Isaac and I thought it’d be nice to have a farewell party for Stiles, have all his Hobo friends come by, get a nice meal and get to say goodbye to him.”

“Ooo…kay? And you want me to host it? Stiles will likely be discharged the day he has to leave. He can’t exactly get to my place.”

“Well, no. We don’t want you to host. But…. We need to you help us organize it here. We know the nurses Stiles is friends with, but the others you’ll have to bribe into keeping the party quiet. Also, we need you to make sure it goes smoothly here. We’ll get the food and cake, and go out to the district Stiles was haunting, and get his friends to come.” Erica says.

“Err… I don’t think I want to jeopardize my career over some kid you both have taken a shining to.” Derek watches as Isaac and Erica’s faces fall. “Ok fine. But you better make sure it’s a soft party and that nobody gets into it at the hospital. Also, I want a salted caramel and chocolate fudge cake and ginger ale at the party. When are we doing this?”

Erica gives him a toothy grin before trapping him in a ferocious hug, “Thank you, thank you, thank you! It’ll be TOMORROW.” And just like that, his two betas run off laughing giddily.

 

* * *

 

Derek manages to bake a batch of ooey-gooey brownies and some vegan cheesecake to bribe the nurses into keeping the party quiet from management. He also invites all the nurses he’s seen hanging out with Stiles and laughing at his stupid jokes to the party.

By the time he finishes his round of the oncology department and makes his way into Stiles’ room, there are twenty people he doesn’t know crowded into the room in various degrees of filth, and Stiles is in the middle of a story.

“Hi, Dr. Hale,” Stiles says, smiling up at him from where he’s perched. “Come listen to my story. I’d just started, I doubt my friends will mind if it repeat it for you.”

“Before I got to Dallas, I was moving around a lot. I think at one point I was in Louisiana, at least in my memory it looked like what I’d imagined the Bayou to be. There I met a really old woman, who said she was the last Alpha of the LeFebvres’. There was a man who was always with her, but he never spoke. She said her family had been murdered, and that she’d been traveling for negotiations when it happened. She regretted not having been there when the murders happened, anyways, Dianne and Lucien were the only ones left and they lived for each other. Dianne was kind to me, and she took me in, but she and Lucien both passed away shortly after I met them, this is the story they’d tell me before bed.” Derek looks around and can see that everyone is listening raptly, but the fact that Stiles’ is talking about Alphas, packs, and hunters is terrifying. He doesn’t smell anything but human.

“Dianne believed that all people have a spirit animal, and the spirit animal guided them through the troublesome times. She’d tell me that often people who are ruthless or have no conscience have lost their path to their spirit animal, or are so disconnected from their spirit. That they don’t hear it guide them onto the righteous path. She told me that once upon a time, there was a man who was so out of touch with his spirit animal, he was a monster. He managed to trick the Goddess of the Moon into granting him immortality, and when the Gods realized his treachery, they intertwined the man with his spirit animal, so that he’d be able to be guided well. However, because the man refused to listen to his spirit, instead of him becoming more in-tune with it, there were times when he’d turn into his spirit animal -- a wolf. The man and the wolf, never communicated, and the arrogant man, went and spread his seed all over the country, raping and pillaging villages – because one of the outcomes of the God’s curse was that the man could draw on some of the abilities of his spirit animal – strength, speed, enhanced vision. The Goddess was horrified by what the man was becoming, she took mortal form and managed to overcome many of the stipulations he’d placed in order to become immortal, and she managed to kill him. However, his illegitimate children were cursed with his affliction, their spirit animals were intertwined with their human forms, and the Goddess, saddened by the fact that these innocents were burdened with this curse, took them under her wing. She made it so, that every wolf-man, was drawn to her, that the viciousness in their wolf form was tempered by their humanity, and the cunningness of their humanity was tempered by the instincts of their wolf – the wolf is a guardian so they’d protect the weak as a human, and they’d be as aware and cognizant as the wolf.” Stiles’ eyes were wide as he continued.

“Dianne used to call me her little fox child, because she said I was cunning, smart, cautious and a little wild. She also said I lacked any form of self-preservation, though. When she died Lucien was beside himself, I sometimes think that it was his grief that killed him. Lucien used to call Dianne his mate. And I don’t think he was Australian. I think he meant soulmate. And they were kinda perfect for each other. I don’t know why I thought of them, perhaps it’s all these drug-induced dreams I’ve been having, but that story that Dianne told me often made me wonder what my spirit animal really would be and if I’m being guided. Part of me believes I am, because coming to Dallas, having fallen ill and being found by my dad could not have happened without some cosmic intervention, right? That’s far too many coincidences.” Stiles looks at Derek then, and Derek is having an internal panic attack. His mother used to tell him a similar story at bedtime about the first werewolf and his offspring. Erica and Isaac are smirking softly as though they realize it’s a werewolf origin story.

Derek eats his slice of cake and chugs a can of diet ginger ale (because of course, Erica and Isaac had to fuck with him) and watches as the crowd slowly dissipates after they get their food. Erica and Isaac are sitting on Stiles’ bed and discussing his story. Stiles’ talking animatedly with his hands and face. Derek watches as the last of Stiles’ guests is escorted out by the nurses until it’s just Stiles, Erica, Isaac, Sheriff Stilinski and Derek in the room. The Sheriff comes up to Derek and when Derek holds his hand out for a handshake, the Sheriff pulls him into a hug. “Thank you, son.”

“But I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t even on his case that long.” Derek says, bashfully.

“I know, but you gave me hope, and also _my son_ back. If it hadn’t been for you, I’d have gone back to California, and my son would have continued to struggle. I don’t think there’s anything I can do that will ever be repayment enough.” The Sheriff is teary-eyed and Derek feels a little lost at sea. He’s had to comfort lots of family members, even ones who are grateful for saving lives, but for some reason, this man’s misplaced gratitude leaves him flushed and he can feel his chest puffing out with pride.

“I’m glad you found him. And you’re most welcome.” Derek pulls out his card and hands it to the Sheriff. “Here’s my number. I know you guys are heading out to California tomorrow, but if you need anything, or you need me to talk to his doctors in your town, don’t hesitate to call.”

“Thank you. And son, it looks like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Learn to share your burdens with other who are happy to share the weight of them. Here’s my card – it’s got the station number on it, but here, let me write down my cell phone number.” The Sheriff says, pulling out a card and his pen.

 

* * *

 

It’s been a week since Stiles left for California. Derek’s been going over his case to try and figure out the cause of Stiles’ mysterious illness in his spare time. When Cora hands him his mail he’s sorting through it when he gets to a letter from BHMHCC, in all the hub-bub he’d forgotten about the fact that he’d applied for an opening there. His betas were finishing school soon, and he’s been looking to go back to his ancestral lands.

_He got the position._

Derek laughs, running his fingers through his hair, and Cora looks at him questioningly.

“I got that job I’d applied to back home.”

“Oh wow. You were serious about that.”

“Do you not want to go home? Do you not feel the pull of our territory?”

“You know…. I do. But it’s also the place our family burned to ash, Derek!”

“So should I turn it down?”

“No! Of course, you shouldn’t turn it down. Derek, I’ve seen you struggling in this city. We live here, but it isn’t our home. Yes, we will have to establish ourselves there, Erica, Isaac and I still have a year to go, even if Boyd is graduating in the next few months – but that’s all gravy. You might not get this opportunity again – besides, I can stay in Dallas and look after Erica and Isaac while you and Boyd get established there. We can travel. We can make sure we have weekly pack Skype calls. We’ll make it work.” Cora says, determined. He knows his pack will support his decisions, but it affected Cora in ways it wouldn't affect the rest of the pack. 

“But you said…” 

“I know what I said, Derek. But just because thinking about what happened there makes me sad doesn’t mean I don’t want to go back. We love that town, with its eccentricities and all. Going home will be good for us.”

“Cora-"

“Oh my God! Shut up. Don’t cry, you asshole. I’m gonna cry if you cry.”

 

* * *

 

Derek gets a text that night.

 **(530)-240-0417:** _My dad says I owe you an apology and a thank you._

 **(530)-240-0417:** _You’re a werewolf, aren’t you?_

 ** _WTF? Who is this?_ ** Derek types, terrified.

 **(530)-240-0417:** _Oh, sorry, I forgot you don’t have my number. Heck, I just got it myself._

 **(530)-240-0417:** _This is Stiles, btw. I should have led with that, huh? But you are, aren’t you? Like Dianne and Lucien._

 ** _There’s no such thing as werewolves, Stiles._ ** Derek deflects and then saves the number.

 **Stiles - mysterious illness:** _I am not an idiot. I also saw Lucien bury Dianne with wolfsbane, he made me promise to do the same to him when he passed._

**_Why would you think I was a werewolf anyways?_ **

**Stiles - mysterious illness:** _You were never on shift during full moons, and Erica and Isaac smelled me a lot. Like creeper levels, and they talked about you a lot, too. You’re like their pseudo-father/big brother_

**_No one can know._ **

**Stiles - mysterious illness:** _Who would believe me anyways?_

**_You’d be surprised. There are a lot of people who’d like to see me and people like me dead._ **

**Stiles - mysterious illness:** _I won’t tell. I promise._

**_Thanks. How’s your PT going?_ **

**Stiles - mysterious illness:** _I think my therapist has a death wish for me. I can still barely stand up, let alone walk._

**_Your muscle degeneration, was way too fast. Perhaps because of the malnutrition, but I don’t know – I’m still trying to figure it out._ **

**Stiles - mysterious illness:** _Well, I hope I’m not taking up too much of your time._

Derek doesn’t answer. He knows his obsession with this case is unprecedented and beyond comprehension, especially because apart from the muscle deterioration from immobility, he is a specimen of health.

 

* * *

 

Derek and Stiles had been texting for a week before Derek sleepily called him up after a long shift; too tired to try texting. Stiles had sounded surprised but pleased when he picked up, but he didn’t hang up and the next day, Stiles calls him up. Derek tells Stiles things he cannot tell his pack. He shares his fears about moving to a different city and leaving his pack behind. He tells Stiles about how he’s scared he’ll let his pack down. Of how he can’t live up to his mother’s or sister’s memories. How he’s so lost so much of the time, but he tries to do right by his pack.

Stiles, on the other hand, shares with Derek updates about his progress, how he’s trying to get his GED so that he can go to actual college. How he’s scared he’s disappointing his father. How his father isn’t the depressed alcoholic he ran away to save. He tells Derek about all that he saw while on the streets. How he tried to go back home after he’d run away on the train, but he didn’t know where he was, or how to get back.

It’s both surprising and reassuring to Derek. How did this kid who was so brusque and rough around the edges when they first met, become Derek’s confidant? He remembers the anger that radiated from Stiles when he couldn’t answer Derek after he woke up in the hospital. But he also remembers how important Stiles had been to Isaac and Erica. He may barely be an adult, but his soul feels far older; perhaps it is because of the life he led until he met Derek, but there’s a wisdom to everything he says. And Derek’s started relying on him for advice and comfort.

The night he tells Stiles he got the position at BHMHCC, Stiles goes quiet over the phone and congratulates him. He doesn’t sound happy or sad, but there seems to be a shift in his energy. The dreams take a turn that night too. The fox yips at him happily and bounds around the Preserve in his mind. He can see the happiness and humor twinkling in its eyes, and its happy scent, with undertones of honey and cinnamon, overwhelms him. He feels content for the first time in a long, long time. Some days, between work and packing up all his things, Derek wonders if Stiles and his father are still in Beacon Hills. He fantasizes about meeting them at the Hospital when Stiles comes in for his PT. He fantasizes about hanging out with Stiles, and if sometimes, in the quiet of the night, Derek fantasizes about more, nobody needs to know but him.

 

* * *

 

There’s a week and a half between Derek reaching Beacon Hills, and him starting his new job at the Hospital. Being back in Beacon Hills is both familiar and new. It’s the first time he’s been back since Laura and he went to New York to restart their lives. Some of his favorite places are still around, but the interiors have changed so drastically that they no longer feel like the places he grew up in. Boyd’s gone to visit his grandma, who lives in Sacramento before he comes up to Beacon Hills. Derek goes to visit his family at the cemetery and follows the trail into the Beacon Hills Preserve to find the ruins of his childhood home. He is struck by the overwhelming sorrow and guilt he always feels when it comes to his family.

After his family died, Laura and he inherited the entire Hale land and fortune. Added to the millions they received from the insurance payout, it was such that if they never wanted to work a day in their lives, they wouldn’t have to. Derek knows he can’t rebuild the Hale house or live on the same plot of land that his house had once stood on, but he wonders if he should tear it down and build a memorial. After all, the entire Beacon Hills Preserve is Hale land, as is most of the undeveloped land in Beacon Hills. He could build a new pack house anywhere on the nearly 1,300-acres of Preserve land at their disposal. He calls Cora to discuss it, and when they’ve both cried themselves hoarse and reached an agreement, he calls a couple of architects for proposals, and a demolition crew to tear the charred old house down.

By the time Boyd comes to Beacon Hills, Derek’s approved the construction of a memorial garden where the old house stood and is working with an architect on a small pack compound on the preserve. The pack doesn’t have to live on the compound if they don’t want to, but it is an option. Currently, Jackson (the Whittemore of _Whittemore & Mahealani_ \-- the firm Derek hired to design the memorial garden and house), and Derek are working on one larger house for Derek and two smaller houses for the four Betas to share, the houses are planned in such a way that there is an option to add more when it’s needed, but it doesn’t look incomplete without the addition of more houses. While Derek irons out plans with the architect, Boyd hunts for a place for Derek and him to share in the meantime. The contractors estimate that the main house will be ready in less than a year and the smaller houses a couple of months later.

Derek learns, while Boyd is hunting for an apartment, that the Hales owned a few buildings in the warehouse district and a few others around town. The apartment buildings in town are already at full occupancy, but there is a one bedroom loft empty in one of the Hale buildings in the warehouse district. He doesn’t need to sign papers to rent an apartment in his own building, so Derek and Boyd quickly move into their new residence, Boyd taking the downstairs bedroom, and Derek taking the open loft. He’s lucky because even though the warehouse district is about a half an hour’s drive from downtown Beacon Hills, it is about a 15-minute drive to the hospital, and Boyd’s interviewing at the school and the local library; both of which are less than a mile away from the hospital.

Derek often finds himself chasing the smell of the Fox down the streets of Beacon Hills, and he knows for certain then that his fox lives in Beacon Hills – he just has to find them. However, the scent trail never leads him anywhere, and he’s left longing for the Fox, and waiting for sleep to take him so that he can be with his Fox again. Derek suspects that the person with the fox spirit is his mate, but he is too scared of losing them to voice that thought.

There’s a network of underground tunnels that the Hales built after the city had been established, and Derek follows the routes he remembers taking with his mother, when he stumbles upon the Hale Vault. He knows it’s the Hale vault when he finds the Hale triskele carved in the stone on the door-jamb. He remembers his mother would open it with blood, and he tries the same method and is amazed when the stone door swings open. The room is filled with artifacts and books, and Derek picks up a few of the ones in English. There’s a desk at the far end of the room, with an open book and a pen lying across it haphazardly. He touches the familiar loops of his mother’s faded handwriting and is struck with an intense longing for his lost family. He pockets the diary and heads back to the loft.

In his mother’s diary, Derek finds mention of a person named ‘Deaton’ and when he does a search for the name in the Beacon Hills census, he finds a Dr. Alan Deaton and a Marin Deaton. He goes to visit Dr. Deaton and when he enters the veterinarian’s practice he is struck by the forbidding presence of Rowan wood. The bald man looks up at him and raises an eyebrow.

“Mr. Hale,” He says. “How can I help you?”

“Dr. Deaton?” Derek asks.

“Yes, I am Dr. Deaton, why don’t you come on back.”

“Erm.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t bite.”

When they’ve made their way into the small examination room, Derek fidgets.

“I’ve been wondering when you’d come see me. I heard of your ascension, Alpha Hale. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Erm. I don’t know who you are, but you were mentioned in my mother’s notes.”

Deaton looks thrown for a minute before he regains his composure. “I don’t know why. I’m a druid. Your mother was a… friend. I would have been her Emissary if she’d asked, but I think she knew that I wouldn’t be able to uphold the balance, if I became her Emissary.”

“Emissary?”

“Do you not know what an Emissary is?”

“Not really. We weren’t really involved in the work Mom did, and Laura never mentioned an Emissary.”

“An Emissary is a magical being who helps navigate werewolf traditions, upholds the divine balance, and keeps knowledge.”

“How can an Emissary keep balance if they’re pack?”

“It’s even more complicated when the Emissary is also the Alpha’s mate, but it is their oath as an Emissary. I suppose it also depends on what magical being they are. It is my people’s place to uphold the balance, and as an Emissary it would have been difficult for me to be loyal and hold the balance. Especially, when it came to your mother.”

“And what are you?”

“I’m a veterinarian.”

Derek hums. “Who was my pack’s emissary?”

“Claudia was, but she died around the same time as your pack did. She was sick for a while before that, but she died a short while after. I think she has a son – but he’s been missing for a long time.”

“Oh.”

“Perhaps, I can be of assistance? I promised your mother a long time ago, that I’d always look after your family, regardless of whether I was the pack Emissary or not.”

“I’ve been dreaming of a fox.”

“You still have the dreams?”

“You know about them?”

“When they started, Claudia was in the hospital because she’d just had a baby. So, your mom came to me. Tell me about them – the dreams.”

“Well, I’m always a wolf, and they’re a fox.”

“Your spirit forms.”

“Yes. I remember having the dream as a kid, but after the fire, they’d stopped.”

“When you moved to New York.”

“Umm, yes. They started back up when I moved to Dallas, and have only gotten stronger since they returned.”

“Interesting.”

“I can smell the Fox all around this town.”

“Did you smell the fox in Dallas?”

“Not really, I was in the hospital most of the time and when I went out it was always with pack. The sanitizer in the hospital itches, so I tend to just dampen my olfactory receptors. And when I’m with my pack, I’m too focused on them to really notice anything else.”

“Hmm. I wonder --”

“What?”

“How does the fox’s scent make you feel?”

“Like I’m at home. Like everything happy is rolled into one furry ball of white and pale orange.”

“How curious.”

“What is?”

“The only time I’ve read about spirit dreams for werewolves, it has to do with finding an Alpha’s emissary. But the dreams aren’t common place. It happens so rarely, it’s barely been documented. Most Packs grow up with an Emissary and they nominate a new Emissary when they feel like they are ready to give up the mantle. Most of the time, the new Emissary is the old Emissary’s child or grandchild. My family were the Hale Pack Emissaries until my Grandmother passed away without nominating a new Emissary. By the time I came to town, your mother had already bonded with Claudia, who isn’t a Druid but had extraordinary instinctual magic, and even though I wasn’t to be the Hale Emissary, I bound myself and my loyalty to her.” Derek listens to Deaton intently, his heartbeat strong, and his voice filled with wonder over the memories he’s reminiscing. “Talia said that Claudia smelt like ozone – like lightning, rain and coming spring. She wasn’t knowledgeable but she was strong and eager. I taught her everything I could about werewolf culture and traditions, including the Hale ones. Anyways, the dreams usually transcend Emissary bonds. If an Alpha dreams of a spirit animal, they’re usually fated to be the Alpha’s emissary.”

“So, the fox isn’t my mate?”

“Do you feel they are?”

“I don’t know who else should smell like home and comfort, if not my mate?”

“Perhaps fated Alphas and their Emissaries are meant to have more than just pack bonds. I wouldn’t know. We have so little written about their bond. But what I do know is that their bond is different than a Pack Emissary and an Alpha’s. There’s a reason the fated Emissary is referred to as the Alpha’s Emissary rather than the Pack Emissary.”

 

* * *

 

His first day at Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital and Care Center is hectic. Derek is introduced to everyone on staff, and many of the nurses are young and flirt with him constantly. There’s one nurse though, who looks at Derek’s traumatized face and shoos all the flirty nurses away. Nurse Delgado, or _Melissa_ as she asks Derek to call her, is a middle-aged woman who takes no nonsense. She talks about her son Scott a lot. In the three days he’s been at BHMCC, Derek’s learned that Scott McCall (Melissa reclaimed her maiden name when Scott became an adult) is studying to be a veterinarian, and interns with Dr. Deaton over the summers. He’s learned that Scott is in a serious relationship with Melissa’s boyfriend’s daughter, and he’s learned that -- no, that is not weird at all. She invites Derek over for dinner over the weekend when Derek’s hiding from a particularly insistent nurse one day.

When Derek knocks on Melissa’s door, he can smell his Fox, and it’s difficult to ignore the need to run. The Sheriff opens the door, and pulls Derek into a hug.

“I didn’t know you had a daughter.” Derek says as he pulls away.

“I don’t.” The sheriff says, confused.

“Melissa said that Scott was dating her boyfriend’s daughter.”

The Sheriff turns red at the insinuation, and splutters unattractively. “That’d be Chris’ daughter.”

“Oh, so you aren’t Melissa’s boyfriend?”

If it were possible for the Sheriff to go any redder, Derek assumes he would have. “I am.”

“Oh….” Derek blushes at the implication, but luckily Melissa takes that moment to come and pull both the Sheriff and Derek into the living room. It’s faint but Derek can smell the undertones of wolfsbane and mountain ash in the room. A man comes down the stairs and Derek growls.

“Oh fuck.” Chris Argent says, and Melissa looks at him curiously just as Derek’s fangs itch beneath his gums. “Calm down.”

“Calm DOWN?” Derek growls, “Your psychotic sister murdered my family.”

“Derek, I’m so sorry for that. I didn’t know. As soon as I put the pieces together, I retired. Don’t do this here.” Argent says, calmly.

Melissa and the Sheriff are looking at the two of them, bewildered at the accusations and the way Derek’s gone tense with anger. “If you’ve retired, why does this house stink of wolfsbane and mountain ash?”

“I have to take precautions. I am a well-known hunter, it won’t matter to most people that I am no longer associated with the defunct Argent family. My sister was killed soon after the fire, and my father passed away from cancer two years ago. My wife sacrificed herself after she got bitten.”

“That is so fucked up. The bite is a gift.”

“Not to us.”

“I may be a predator, but I am not a killer. I am not a monster.”

“Some monsters wear human skin. I know that better than anyone. I am so sorry for all my family did to yours. My daughter, when she found out, made sure our legacy changed. We no longer hunt those who hunt us. We protect those who can’t protect themselves.”

“How _noble_.” Derek sneers, but all of a sudden he turns around.

“Melissa I couldn’t find the baguettes, so I just got a whole French – Derek!” Stiles walks into the room, a French bread in his hand, smelling like home and comfort and everything good. Derek walks forward, and pulls the boy into a hug.

“Umm….” Stiles splutters, hands flailing before hugging Derek back awkwardly. Derek turns his face into the boy’s neck, pulling deep gulps of air into his lungs.

A pointed cough pulls Derek out of his haze, and he looks around to find bewildered expressions directed towards him.

The Sheriff’s got his service pistol out, and Chris is putting his hand over the Sheriff’s to get him to lower it.

“What are you?” The Sheriff asks, confused and angry, and Derek realizes he’s in Beta shift.

“I’m a werewolf, and he’s my mate.”

 

* * *

 

The first time Stiles called Derek his wolf, it was when he was half-delirious, eyes glinting with mischief.

The second time he called Derek his wolf, they’d been dating for three months. He’d fallen asleep while watching Iron Man 3. He’d had a long day with the Physiotherapist before he took his GED exam. Derek took him to bed, and laid down beside Stiles. He put his arms around Stiles, and pulled him close. Stiles stirred slightly, put his hand in Derek’s hair and whispered, “Mi Lobo” softly.

The third time Stiles calls Derek his wolf, Derek’s just told him about the Dreams, watching Stiles closely. He tells Stiles that he thinks Stiles is magical and that Deaton can teach him. He tells Stiles that he loves him, and Stiles leans forward, presses their foreheads together and say, “Mi lobo, I love you too. But I am scared I’m not good enough for you.” Derek pulls away, takes Stiles’ hands in his and whispers, “You are everything, I am the one unworthy of you.”

The fourth time Stiles calls Derek his wolf, Derek takes him to see the newly completed Hale compound, the houses are beautiful, but Derek’s made a greenhouse, pool and playground in the center. Derek’s set up dinner in his new house, and when he gets down on one knee and asks Stiles to marry him – it doesn’t have to be now, or anytime soon – he can wait till Stiles gets his degree and is more settled in his career; Stiles kneels in front of him pulls him in for a kiss and whispers, “mi lobo, I love you. But you are so stupid sometimes. Of course, I will marry you. There’s nothing I want more.”

The fifth time Stiles calls Derek his wolf, they’ve been together four years, and they’ve had their fights, but this one was huge. Stiles got offered a great position in a fantastic startup based in Seattle, and before he can tell Derek what’s transpired that made him take the job, Derek blows up at him and says things he doesn’t mean. Stiles knows that Derek loves him and is scared of losing him, but it hurts to hear Derek say those things. He slaps Derek, and the shock of it stops Derek’s tirade. “Mi Lobo, if you’d listen I’d tell you I turned them down but they countered by telling me I could work from wherever I wanted to – even Beacon Hills. So yes, you asshole, I’m taking the job. No, I’m not leaving you. But tonight, you better go get your pillow from our room -- you are exiled from our bed. You’re exiled until I say it’s ok for you to come back.” Derek whines sorrowfully and does as he’s told – the room is cold without Stiles’ presence and he can’t sleep without Stiles’ heartbeat against his ear. But before long, the door to the guest room is pushed open and a sleepy Stiles slumps over onto Derek’s chest.

The sixth time Stiles calls Derek his wolf, is the day they get married. They’ve had their first dance, they’ve drunk their share of alcohol, they’ve eaten cake and kissed a thousand times, and the happiness that is thrumming through the pack bonds is overwhelming. Stiles pulls Derek away from the party, pushes him down on their bed, slowly undresses Derek and Derek undresses him. He straddles Derek’s thighs, and pulls out the plug that’s kept him open, slicks up Derek’s cock and slowly slides it home. He sighs it then, “Mi lobo, make me yours.” Derek’s fangs at his throat and his knot expanding, as they come in tandem with a sigh, are all planned, but it still makes Stiles’ heart beat faster, makes his breath catch in his lungs, and it fills his heart with so much love and happiness it feels like he’ll explode. Derek whispers against Stiles’ throat, “Mi zorro hermoso. Te amo.”

Every time after – when they hold their daughter for the first time, when Derek brings home an orphaned werewolf cub, when Isaac falls in love with Scott and Allison, when Erica and Boyd have their first child, when Cora finally lets her pack meet her girlfriend, when Scott gets turned into a werewolf and asks to be a part of Derek’s pack, when Allison pledges her loyalty, when Stiles officially takes on the mantle of Emissary, and all the times in between and yet to come, they’re all filled with love and devotion.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, please leave some kudos and comments!! 
> 
> And go share the love with [evisionarts](http://www.evisionarts.tumblr.com) and [EmisFritish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmisFritish/pseuds/EmisFritish) by reading/commenting/kudo-ing/sharing their work as well! 
> 
> Cheers!


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